Come and Gone
by lostandlonelyfirefly
Summary: Hermione gets thrown back in time with a twist of fate and quite a bit of Magic and now she has to figure out how best to use her knowledge to save the ones she cares about. The fate of the future rests in her hands. AU. RL/HG. M for possible later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first story and... I'm a little nervous as to how it will turn out and if anyone will like it, It takes me a while to write because I'm such a perfectionist so I may post once a week because on top of everything I have 7 and a half hours of school, please bare with me :)

I own nothing except the occasional random background character, everything else belongs to the lovely and talented J.K. Rowling.

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She cried her curly mass of hair falling over her soft and tear stained face. In the past twenty-four hours her life had somehow changed so dramatically she didn't even recognize it anymore. As she cried images floated across her tear filled eyes. Harry flying back his eyes faded and glassy, Ron laying on the floor his face bloodied and his hair plastered to his pale and freckled face with the sick redness.

* * *

_The castle shook with the power and destruction being wrought throughout it. Hogwarts was under attack and no one was safe from the shrapnel of spells hitting the walls, from the ear piercing shrieks of the dying, the tortured, and the spells._

_Hermione had avoided any battles herself but ran from one person to the next backing them when the odds seemed out of their reach. She had seen more deaths in the last 15 minutes than any one person should ever see and now, she was faced with the possibility of her own. One of the Death Eaters, she assumed to be woman behind the grotesque mask, leapt in front of her firing curse after curse in so rapid an order that Hermione was having problems throwing up shield fast enough._

_When she thought it was her last Dean slipped in front of her backed by Neville and told her to "Run"_

_Without a moment's hesitation she ran. She took the stairs avoiding various jinxes and curses from both sides and came across Ron's body. It was terrifying to see him, his blood dripping down the stairs like some sick sort of stream. She gagged and kept running trying to push it all behind her and into a locked box in her mind. She was trying to find Harry, as he had disappeared from her sight when the battle began and having seen Ron, she doubled her efforts. She reached a hall whose windows overlooked the battle bellow her and when she glanced down, she saw him, the battle had paused and there were just two lone figures surrounded on all sides by people watching, waiting. Between the two figures was a line green and red, combating each other. With the rebound both bodies went flying. They were dead. It was over. Both bodies lay crumpled surrounded by their followers._

* * *

A gentle hand lay across her shoulder brushing some of the hair behind it. "Hermione?" She looked up at the soft worried tone and saw the scarred and age-worn face of her former professor. She lifted her dirt and blood streaked sleeves and tried, futilely to wipe away her tears a hot and vivid flush creeping up her cheeks turning them the same shade of her bloodshot eyes.

She had thought she had been alone. With Sirius and most of the Order dead she had wrongly assumed that no one would come looking for her, at least, not for a few precious hours that she needed severely to gather herself from the terror that threatened to overwhelm her. "I'm alone now…" She whispered softly looking up at Remus' kind and sadden eyes.

Hermione, why don't you come back to Hogwarts with me? We can get you checked over by Poppy." He took her face in his hands looking into her eyes as if that would tell him how to fix this one amazingly strong young woman. "Please, Hermione."

Hermione pulled away with a gut wrenching sob and clutched her heavy heart. "Please, Remus, please don't make me go back there. I-I cannot go back there, not after—. " Another sob wracked her boy making her seem smaller than she ever had. Reminding Remus that this child was in fact still a child, no matter what the war had made her.

Remus' heart broke for the poor girl, she had lost so much to the damn war, not that he hadn't, but in one night, in a short span of hours, she had lost almost everyone that she had ever really cared for. She had lost nearly everything in a battle that they had only won with the barest breadth. "Scourgify" He whispered making her give the barest hint of a smile.

Remus pulled her in deftly in a warm hug and immediately she began crying again clutching to his well worn shirt with tears and sobs that broke his heart all over again. With a heavy sigh he held tight to her and apparated with a crack to just outside the infirmary. With the wards all down except around the infirmary it was easy, McGonagall had managed to get those up for now, as a precaution for the injured.

As soon as Hermione realized they had apparated she pulled away from Remus with such severe anger in her eyes that she reminded him more of a wild animal than the teenage witch he knew her to be. She pulled her wand and he could have sworn he heard her growl." I told you not to bring me back here."

Remus held his hands in front of him palms up in the universal symbol of peace. "_Hermione._ Stop this. We need to get you checked over."

She threw a jinx at him wordlessly, the purple splash of color not looking very friendly. He could feel his wolf trying to claw its way out and with the moon not far off it seemed a losing battle. His eyes flashed with warning and he saw the recognition cross her face and with that she turned and ran.

It was a matter of seconds before Remus realized she had taken off and proceeded to follow her afraid of what she might try to do if left alone to her own devices. He could hear her pounding footsteps as they moved through the halls just one corner ahead of him and it seemed that no matter how fast he ran she was ahead of him and growing because now he could only faintly hear her even with his werewolf hearing on hyper alert.

Hermione knew she was ahead of him by a stretch, her tired feet carrying her around rubble and up stairs, around corners and finally up to the seventh floor, to the Room of Requirement. She took a chance and walked across the front of where the door should be three times in rapid and more panicked steps with escape on the brain. She could hear his steps coming up closer behind her and she grabbed the handle of the door now in front of her and threw it open not bothering to look in front of her before she stepped in and closed the door behind her.

Remus could no longer hear her footsteps and that was worse than anything he could think of, losing one of the only people he still cared for, and it was his fault. He reached the hallway with the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach Trolls ballet and collapsed his lungs deadened and his legs numb. He let out a roar and punched his fist into the wall his anger knowing no bounds.

* * *

Once Hermione had the door closed the world tumbled away from her. She could feel no ground beneath her feet and her hair and clothes were getting whipped around her with the fury of a tornado that she knew would leave her mass of hair in a horrible state, and then the burning, like when you first sink into a hot bath. A tingling that crept over her whole body and in an instant it was gone and her feet were planted firmly on the ground the door directly in front of her face lit around the edges. It was the only thing that was, everything else was black as night.

* * *

With an ear pressed to the door she listened for Remus and when she realized he was not there she opened the door and gasped. The castle had no rubble or dust flying about as it had when she had been it, the pictures were all straight as to be expected, and there were a few missing, but not many. Not only that, but the castle was quiet. No Remus yelling for her.

She took cautious steps away from the door that had vanished behind her. She made her way down to the sixth floor each step making her want to scream as it became clear that this was not the same Hogwarts she'd left behind. It was then that she saw a shock of unruly black hair that made her heart stop as it turned the corner. With speed she didn't realize she had she ran after the figure so familiar to her, like her own face. She quickly caught up with him and grabbed him from behind laughing with pure joy as the boy jumped. Then he pushed away and Hermione looked into his eyes fairly confused. "You're not Harry…" She spoke softly the hazel eyes looking at her wide and confused.

"No," He spoke slowly giving a shake of his head making his hair fly about. "I'm not Harry." He looked at her regular street clothes and his eyes brows knit together, "Who are you?" He took in the jeans and scuffed up tennis shoes as well as the slightly rumpled tee-shirt and jacket. "You don't go here."

Hermione looked down at her clothes and then back at the stranger before her. "I… " She looked into those eyes again behind the squared black rims. "Prongs…" She sighed heavily and looked away. "I need to see Dumbledore."

James stood slightly dumbfounded and narrowed his eyes" How do you know my name?" He asked in a deadly whisper pulling out his wand on her.

She stepped back and shook her head her eyes wide. "Please, you do _not_ want to do that, James. I only want to see Dumbledore."

James put his wand away and gave a heavy sigh, "Fine, as the Head Boy; I don't have much of a choice." With that he led her to the headmaster's office. "Exploding Bonbons" And with that the giant gargoyle leapt aside revealing the spiraling staircase to the office of the headmaster.

Hermione's heart thundered in her chest as she walked beside her best friend's father. It is impossible to think that this man was alive beside her and nearly the same age as well, she gulped as he opened the headmaster's door. A positively cheerful voice erupted from the other side, "Why, hello James, I was not expecting you."

James coughed slightly and turned to face the door giving Hermione a glance and nodding for her to step within sight of the headmaster. "Dumbledore, there is a girl here, who, says she needs to talk to you…"

Hermione stepped into the room and upon looking at the old man recognized the slight twist of the mouth and twinkle in his now calculating eyes."I fear, I do not recognize you, Miss…"

"Gr—acel" Hermione gulped and licked her lips. She hated lying, but recognized the fact that giving her real name could be deadly. "Sir, I need to speak with you, in private if you don't mind. It is of extreme importance." Hermione twisted her fingers in front of her, she hadn't been this nervous in a long time.

With a quick nod from Dumbledore, James made his way out and after closing the door stopped for a moment wondering if he should eaves drop. It was a good opportunity, but he thought better of it and made his way back to the Great hall where dinner was no doubt nearly halfway through.

* * *

James couldn't stop thinking about the odd girl even as he made his way into the Great Hall and sat down to eat with his friends who were giving him odd looks. Finally Sirius spoke up, being the boldest of the Marauders. "Prongs, where did you disappear to, mate?"

James sighed and looked around at his friends. "This girl jumped on me as I was making my way down here." Peter went wide eyed and Remus snorted. Sirius just grinned.

"That, Prongs, is how you get over a seven year crush." He smirked crossing his arms on the table and looking smug. He turned to Remus and Peter. "Moony, Wormy, you each owe me a Galleon."

James sputtered, "No-no, that's not," His face darkened in a mean blush, "Not like that, Padfoot. This girl came up behind me and practically tackled me. She thought I was someone else I guess." He shrugged slightly.

Remus' ears perked up. "Well, who was she then? What house?"

James shook his head again and took a bite of his mashed potatoes. "That," he swallowed, "Is an excellent question, Moony, that I plan on getting answered."

Sirius looked slightly confused at this, but Remus spoke faster. "So, what did she look like, maybe I can place her."

James snorted and set down his spoon and began gesturing wildly around his head. "She had big hair, like it had been through a wind tunnel, big and curly and black. She looked about our age, and had….blue eyes I think…" He picked up his spoon again. "But, I could be wrong about the eyes, the hair, you couldn't miss."

Remus picked his brain for a girl of that description. "She wasn't wearing house robes?" he inquired rather confused by that fact.

"Nope, she was wearing muggle clothes by the looks of it, worn out blue trainers and jeans and rumpled tee-shit and jacket." He paused looking around at the boys." She knew my name, both my name and my nickname."

And with that he had the boys' full attention and a barrage of questions that he could not answer came forth. But, fear not, he would get them, one way or another.

Hermione made her way to Gryffindor tower her eyes heavy. She was quite tired. Dumbledore had run through her mind and now knew just about everything there ever was to know about her, including the future. She was stuck here for now, and she would have to lie about just about everything until she could get home. It went against her most basic rules and morals, but she would have no choice if she wanted to survive in this foreign time.

* * *

_Dumbledore watched James leave before standing up and in a colorful swirl of robes make his way to standing in front of the girl looking down at her through his half-moon glasses. A frown played on his face. "So, what is so important Miss Gracel?"_

_Hermione took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm from the future. Roughly twenty years give or take based on James' Heady Boy status."_

_Dumbledore stepped back with a look of shock on his old face, his eyes appearing ready to pop out of his skull behind his glasses."You must have hit your head or something of the like because, my dear, that is impossible."_

_Hermione shook her head her now black hair falling in front of her face. As she tried to brush it away she gasped, and loudly, it was really more of a scream caught in her throat by surprise, but for all intents and purposes, she gasped. Her hand shook as she pulled the lock of hair tugging at it and holding it up so the light caught on the inky blackness, she was mesmerized, and Dumbledore was stunned into silence by the oddness of her. Finally she looked away from her mane and up at Dumbledore, "Do you have a mirror, sir?"_

_Dumbledore nodded and pulled out a small and delicate goblin wrought silver hand mirror and held it out to her. She took it with a nod of thanks and looked at herself, her chocolate eyes were now a pale and mild blue, like the winter sky and her skin was peppered with small light freckles across her nose and cheeks. She barely looked like herself, with slightly more pronounced cheekbones and a near perfect smile._

_With a small nod and a dazed expression she handed the mirror back to Dumbledore and shook her head. "As I was saying," She started as Dumbledore slid the mirror back into his desk."I'm from the future and somehow I ended up here and I need to get back soon before I alter anything more than I have."_

_Dumbledore sat and waved his hand for her to do the same. "Well, how did you get here, Miss Gracel."_

_Hermione thought about it for a minute and chose her words as best she could without giving away too much. "I was running, away from… a well meaning friend. I needed escape, I was panicking and I went into the Room of Requirement and… I ended up here."_

_Dumbledore nodded, "Hermione, would you be willing to let me look into your mind?"_

_Hermione was slightly surprised but had expected as much. He had to be sure she wasn't setting him up for a trap or worse. She nodded and with a small sigh, spoke. "I think it would be for the best." As much as her logical brain was screaming that this was a bad idea, somewhere inside her a little voice, that sounded suspiciously of Luna Lovegood, told her she could save everyone, give her friend a good life and she decided that that little voice, was right._

_So, Hermione sat still waiting for Dumbledore to pry into her mind, to see everything and she was truly scared. "Legilimens." She heard his whisper and then suddenly images were flashing before her and it was like her whole life was playing in front of her eyes, every memory she had, even a few she had forgotten as she had gotten older erupted in her brain._

_She watched everything from receiving her Hogwarts letter when she was 11 to that last second before she closed the Room of Requirement door and when Albus had pulled out of her head she was crying, warm tears slipping down her now unfamiliar face._

"_Well, Hermione, I think we should just slip you into Gryffindor and see how it goes. You will tell no one of this and if you must tell someone something, lie." He nodded to himself thinking. "You may want to hurry to the tower, maybe you will be able to avoid most of the people coming back from dinner."_

* * *

She had made it to the common room with no difficulty, even avoided any possible students as well, but it seemed her luck had run out because in front of her stood the four Marauders and they had spotted her, her muggle clothes and messy hair and all.

"Bloody hell."

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Well, let me know what you think, I love criticism if it's helpful. :)


	2. Chapter 2

I was so excited by the responses that I started typing up chapter 2 immediately. I was super giddy, you have no idea. And even then, it is still a day late.

As always, I own nothing it all belongs to Rowling.

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"_Bloody hell"_

_._

James stood up from his spot on the brilliant red couch in front of the fire and looked her over followed by Sirius and Remus and lastly Peter, whom had been curled up in one of the armchairs adjacent, cowering behind the others. "So, you're a Gryffindor then? How odd… I would have figured Slytherin or… something of that nature." He gestured at her indifferently with a wave of his hand.

Sirius gave a bark of a laugh. "Definitely not Slytherin, Prongs, Ravenclaw maybe, but Slytherin definitely not."

Hermione stood her arms crossed over her chest. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep, I haven't slept in," She stopped her eyes wide, technically she hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours. She shook her head. "I need to sleep."

Remus watched her, the way she moved and he knew she was uncomfortable, by the shadows under her eyes he'd have guessed it would have been a very long time since she had slept well. He tapped James' shoulder. "Prongs, let her sleep. She obviously needs it."

It was in that moment she realized she was looking at Remus, her last memory of home, and that was when the tear gates flooded. She turned and ran a hand pressed to her lips as she stumbled up the familiar staircase and to, wherever she ended up.

It was at the top of the stairs that she ran into a back, a back curtained by brilliant red hair. The girl turned and looked at her brilliant green eyes wide in fright. The girl pressed a hand to her chest. "Oh sweet Merlin, you startled me."

Hermione stood stunned her eyes blurred with tears but unable to deny what was right in front of her. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…" She sobbed and Lily's face softened immediately.

"Are you okay?" She reached a hand out to touch Hermione's shoulder comfortingly. Her eyes were full of concern and it dawned on her that this had to be the new girl, 'Gracel.' She took her hand. "Are you Gracel?"

Hermione nodded slowly. Wiping her eyes before her tears spilled over. She sniffled and gave a weak smile. "I am." She held out her hand. "Hermione Gracel."

Lily took it and shook it slowly. "Lily, Lily Evans. You're in my room. Come on, I'll show you where it is." She turned on her heel and looked back at Hermione and waved for her to follow leading her around a corner and up a couple more flights of stairs to a large circular room with five four-poster beds draped in scarlet curtains trimmed in gold lions fighting each other. The room was simple with oak furniture and gold plaques at the end of the bed. The empty bed directly across from the door hand her last name and a simple trunk in front of it.

Lily smiled at her. "Well, this is the room, your trunk showed up right before you did. I was wondering what you would look like, not quite how I pictured you." Lily spoke slowly appraising Hermione a finger pressed to her lips. Hermione, not exactly enjoying the attention cleared her throat and moved away from Lily to her trunk.

Upon opening it she found ample amounts of scrolls and quills as well as ink and various other book and school supplies piled upon her school robes. She nodded checking everything over in her head while Lily rambled on about Hermione's hair.

Remus looked at the girl as she practically ran off. He was very confused by her reaction; it was like she looked at him and burst into tears. He looked at James and Sirius for some kind of answer as the only girl he had had much contact with was Lily, and she never did that, but they looked just as stumped. Finally James spoke up calling to mind a very serious question. "So, has anyone else heard of a seventh year transferring to Hogwarts?"

Remus tilted his head in thought. It didn't sound very familiar; everyone in their year had been with them since first year. He shook his head slowly his ragged sandy hair falling in front of his eyes. Sirius shrugged and whispered something to James sharing a nod with him and pulling away like it hadn't happened.

Remus was about to ask what was going on when Lily came down the stairs and came walking towards the Marauders, the four boys being the only ones in the room at that moment because they had frightened off some of the younger students earlier. She looked slightly frustrated as she curled up next to James and sighed. "Have you all met Gracel yet?" She looked at James though she was asking everyone. They all nodded slowly and Hermione narrowed her eyes. "So, I'm guessing it was your fault she was crying?"

Remus gulped and looked down mumbling faintly. "Well, yes, it's true, but we actually don't know why she was crying, except for what Padfoot and Prongs said." He spoke gesturing to said men, on sitting on the floor his back resting against James and Remus' legs. Book received a hardly slap on the back of their heads from Lily.

"You two are both such gits." She frowned. "The poor girl has been here less than a day and you're already terrorizing her?" Lily crossed her arms over her chest pulling away from James a bit to look him square in the eye. Her emerald eyes glowed with fire. "How could you be so cruel? I thought you had grown up?"

James looked back at the guys and then to Lily avoiding her eyes directly. "Well, Lils, you see, it doesn't make sense." He mumbled. "She came out of nowhere practically landed on me and she knew my name, both my nickname and my real name." Lily's eyes widened. "She called me Harry and then she said she had to see Dumbledore and now she is in Gryffindor, in your room."

Lily nodded slowly turning to look at the fire watch the flames as she so often did when thinking. James meanwhile was making eye contact with Sirius and they were having their own slightly panicked conversation with their eyes. Remus ignored it and closed his eyes with a sigh.

He loved puzzles, but this one seemed strangely personal, like this woman was somehow thrown into their lives by something greater than themselves. He shook his head. Those muggle philosophy books he was reading were starting to effect his way of thinking. Not like it was a bad thing he nodded to himself and then opened his eyes to see Peter staring at him confused. He leaned forward and giving a glance to Sirius and James whispered. "What are they talking about?"

Remus looked at the two men in question and narrowed his eyes. He gave a small chuckle and looked back at Peter. "Planning a prank, world domination, or maybe, I don't know, Hermione?"

Remus sighed and gently tapped Lily's shoulder making her jump. She looked at him eyebrows rose. "Yes, Remus?" She asked sweetly then seeing something in his facial expression her eyebrows knit together. "What's wrong?" She put a hand on his knee.

Remus looked down and sighed again. "Will you tell Hermione I'm sorry, for, whatever I did to make her cry?" With that he stood tucking his hands into his pockets and walking off up to his dorm room. Only Peter at that moment noticed and hurried after him leaving James and Sirius back to their near telepathic conversation. Lily looked after the two men and then turned back to James and Sirius and rolled her eyes. Of course.

Hermione curled up on her bed changing into a pair of midnight blue linen pajama pants and top. They were soft, though not nearly as soft as hers back home. This thought in and of itself made her want to start crying all over again. It amazed her that she could even produce tears anymore at this point. She curled up and removed her silencing charm. It was hard to think about anything and so she closed her eyes, curled up under her warm red and gold blankets and drifted into the dreamland she would learn to abhor.

She woke into terror her blankets tightly wrapped around her and Lily standing over her bed breathing hard and pinning her down. She refused to look into Lily's worried eyes but lily released her and took her chin in hand dragging Hermione's eyes to meet hers. "What's wrong?"

Hermione gulped and sniffled, pushing her hair out of her face. "It was just a nightmare, Lily, I'm fine." Hermione pulled away from her and laid back down her back to Lily and her blankets puller up to her chin. "Go back to sleep and I'll put up a silencing charm."

Lily looked slightly affronted but stood up and threw her hands up. "Fine. Next time your screaming and crying like you're _dying_, I won't come and wake you up." She went back to her bed throwing the curtain back and then closing it around her. Hermione sat up to do the same and pulled her wand from under her bed casting the silencing charm around her bed again.

She stayed sitting up her eyes covering her face as tears spilled down her pale cheeks. She had dreamt of the war, seeing everyone dying around her. It had been terrifying to see that march of the dead pass her eyes. She fell back on her bed tired down to her bones. Instead of going back to sleep she stayed curled up in the fetal position her wand in her hand until the first rays of sunlight crept into the room. Then she burst from her bed with quickness unknown to her tired mind and body. She hurried to shower and change and was downstairs in less than twenty minutes with her school bag on her shoulder and her hair magically dried. Her curls looked less untamed than they had the night before though there were dark circles under her winter eyes. She curled up on the couch in front of the already roaring fire and began reading her favorite book **Hogwarts: a History**. She read noting the differences between the two until a gentle hand tapped her shoulder pulling her away from her reading.

She whipped out her wand as she stood up, the book falling off of her lap and onto the floor with a loud thud. Remus stood there his eyes wide his hands up in peace while Sirius and James, both standing behind him whipped out their wands too clearly caught off guard but reacting out of instinct. Hermione's face was twisted in fury, but when she finally realized who she was aiming at she stepped back and looked down ashamed dropping her wand arm to her side. "I-I'm so sorry, Remus."

Remus was too stunned for words at this point and just stood there his hands up and his mouth open. He had never seen anyone react like that, neither that fast nor with such ferocity as he saw etched into her normally kind face. His heightened senses picked up on the strong scent of fear coming from the girl. He immediately wondered what had happened to her and the growing need to destroy whatever had created this reflex in her. Both thoughts ran simultaneously through his mind puzzling him to great lengths.

James and Sirius kept their wands up a few seconds after Hermione dropped theirs. They kept their eyes on her ready to draw again. It was only when lily and Peter came down stairs and stopped dead in their tracks did anybody else move. "What's going on here?" Lily asked quietly unsure. It was then that Hermione snapped out of her daze and picked up her book shook her head her once halfway decent hair flying around her face and puffing up to its usual size. She hurried out of the room her head down leaving everyone wondering what was going on. Remus hurried after her followed by everyone else.

"Hermione?" He came up behind her practically jogging to keep up as she headed downstairs to the Great Hall. "Hermione? Hello?" He sighed exasperated and slowed down to catch back up with the guys and Lily.

Lily took Remus' arm and pulled him to her side as they walked. "What was going on when I came downstairs?" She gestured to James and Sirius. "They won't tell me."

Remus nodded slowly. "Well, I went to tap Hermione on the shoulder to get her attention and she freaked out. She pulled her wand on me faster than anyone I've ever seen, including professional duelers like Professor Greggin. She was terrified; I could smell it on her."

Lily nodded and bit her lip. "She had a really bad nightmare last night; screaming and tossing like she was under the Cruciatus curse. I used to have nightmares, but they were nothing like that."

Remus nodded and was pulled from his thoughts as Lily dragged him and herself away from the Marauders and into the Great Hall where the early risers were already eating, including Hermione at the far end of the table, the only one not including himself and the rest of his friends. Lily led him down to Hermione and they sat on either side of her not yet talking. She did not look up but kept reading and eating her toast. Now that Remus was right next to her he could see the dark shadows under her eyes clear as day.

"What are you reading?" He asked softly making her look up from her book and jump.

"Merlin, Remus, you scared me." Lily laughed softly on the other side of her making Hermione jump once again. He cleared his throat and repeated the question.

She held up her book and both Lily and Remus raised an eyebrow. "**Hogwarts: A History**? Why are you reading a textbook?" He inquired gently trying not to be admonishing.

She blushed faintly and tried to think of a good lie. "Well, I… I wanted to start reading so maybe I wouldn't be too far behind in classes." She shrugged and it seemed that both Remus and Lily accepted this answer as valid.

Remus took a deep breath and closed his eyes before turning to look at Hermione head on. "I'm sorry for making you cry last night." He spoke rather rapidly but by the jerk of her head and the realization in her wide eyes he knew she'd heard.

"Oh, Remus!"She hugged him tight not realizing the gesture and promptly let go blushing as she did. She looked down hoping her thick hair would hide the color. "It wasn't your fault… you just… remind me of my home." She shrugged and went back to nibbling her toast. Remus looked over her head at Lily who was equally puzzled.

"So," Lily started softly. "Where is home?"

Hermione coughed and bit her lip. She hadn't thought about this yet. "Home is… well, "Another cough. " Up until this year I was homeschooled. I transferred here this year so as to get my NEWTs."

Remus nodded though something about it seemed wrong. He had heard about some wizarding families keeping their kids home for extended periods, but not quite as long as until 7th year. He shook his head. "Well, at least you're here now then."

Lily nodded. "What classes are you taking?" She asked actually quite curious.

Hermione dug in her bag and pulled out her schedule. "Well, Advanced Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Study of Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Alchemy." She read down the list nodding slowly. She would have a very full schedule this year. It actually made her giddy.

Remus and Lily sat there wide-eyed "That's…" Remus started.

"…Quite a schedule." Lily finished.

Hermione looked up her eyes blue eyes blazing with more color than before. "I can't wait."

It was at that moment that James and Sirius strode over James leaning heavily on Lil's shoulders and Sirius doing the same to Remus. "So," Sirius started his cool gray eyes full of mischief. "What are we doing over here that's got that one," He motioned his head to Hermione, "All worked up?"

Hermione blushed a vibrant shade of red as she looked at Sirius. He looked so much younger and happier and… handsome than she ever saw him when he was alive in her time. "Nothing you'd care about Padfoot" She said quietly then snapped her mouth shut her eyes wide as she realized her slip up. Everyone else seemed to have caught it as well.

"Excuse me?" Sirius said softly, almost dangerously, "How do you know my name?" He leaned his head down so it was right next to hers in between Remus and Hermione.

She squeaked and stood up nearly knocking Sirius over as she pushed past him her book pressed to her chest and her knuckles white around its edges.

Sirius looked at everyone but James' eyes followed the girl out of her hall. Without a second thought he grabbed Sirius by the collar and pulled him along making Remus get up to or be knocked to the floor. The Hall had momentarily stopped to watch the commotion because Sirius was complaining rather loudly as he and James left because James refused to let go of his collar. Peter ignored said commotion and continued eating while Remus and Lily hurried after them blushing at the attention.

Once outside they pulled out the Marauder's map and hunted down Hermione's feet, but what threw them off, was the name below her first. '_Granger_'. She was in the Library in one of the quiet and cut off corners. Seeing this they all took off not bothering with probably being late to their first class of the day, it could wait. This was so much bigger.

When the group finally made it up to the library and to her corner they found a ball of black hair curled up in a chair in tears sobbed silently oblivious to their presence. Lily motioned for the boys to back off for a second as she knelt next to Hermione's chair and put a hand on her knee. "Hermione, Hermione Granger?"

The girl looked up her wide eyes blood shot making the blue even more striking. "H-how, d-do you kn-now that n-name." She stuttered out her breath ragged and shallow.

Remus took a deep breath and pulled the map from Sirius's hands and held it out to her. She took it slowly her hand shaking. She looked down and gave a small and pathetic whimper as she caught her name on the paper. "You have a lot of explaining to do." Sirius spoke gruffly.

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Well, it's a day late, but my English class was very demanding this week. I know it's terrible, but I will make up for it… hopefully by making next chapter twice as long because these rink-dink chapters are probably annoying.

Anyways, please, constructive criticism is always admirable.


	3. Chapter 3

So, here is Chapter 3! I know I said I'd try to get it to double my last chapters, but I hit such a beautiful cliff hanger that I just couldn't deny. That and, between free rock concerts and babysitting, I didn't have the time if I wanted to meet my personal deadline. So, I hope you'll forgive me for lying to you. I did try.

All of this belongs to J.K. Rowling. I just like to play with it.

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_Remus took a deep breath and pulled the map from Sirius's hands and held it out to her. She took it slowly her hand shaking. She looked down and gave a small and pathetic whimper as she caught her name on the paper. "You have a lot of explaining to do." Sirius spoke gruffly._

_._

Hermione flinched upon meeting his darkened gaze but somehow her voice stayed even as she spoke. "Fine, but not here, not where others might hear me and what I have to tell you." She stood shaking as she did but gripping her book she gathered her courage. "We will go to your room and discuss it as I take it your room is much more private than anywhere else at this moment." She was tempted to go the Room of Requirement but felt it safe not to take them there in case she ended up needing it later.

The boys looked at each other and after a whispered conversation nodded and headed out of the Library Lily following next to Hermione a bit worried about her state but equally as curious about her story.

She intrigued Lily. One minute she was shaking like a leaf frightened by the slightest movement but the moment she needed to she made even Lily shiver, and Lily was known for her temper and ability to scare people if it was necessary. She shook her head. It didn't make sense why the girl would change her name and not her face, Lily paused, or maybe she had, but _why_?

Hermione walked her head held high feeling much like Sydney Carton from **A Tale of Two Cities **when he was being led to his death. It was the only way out; it would be a freedom, but a darkness that would destroy her. She shivered at the thought of seeing her head detached from her body. She noticed Lily staring at her from the corner of her eye, but she tried to ignore it, not think about what could be going through the girls head.

James glanced back at Lily worried about having this stranger so close to his flower. He sighed and stepped forward to give the password to a disapproving Fat Lady. "_Mendacibus morietur_"

Hermione flinched when she heard it and gulped. That was a bad sign, a very bad sign. As the boys led her up to their room she thought on that phrase. "_Liars die."_ It could be taken many different ways, but her mind kept floating back to Sydney Carton.

Sirius opened the door and let everyone through. Once everyone was in sitting on various beds and Hermione on the floor, much to the displeasure of Sirius and James' gentlemanly nature, Sirius closed the door and spelled it shut adding a silencing charm and Muffliato just in case. "Speak." He commanded leaning against the door and crossing his arms over his chest.

Hermione stood still holding her book tight in her small hands. "I'm from the future."

Lily narrowed her eyes but Remus beat her to it. "Not possible."

Hermione nodded and then shook her head. "I thought so too, but it happened and I'm here."

Sirius pushed himself off of the door and stepped forward. "If Lily and Remus say it's impossible I'm siding with them over you." He stood in front of her looking down slightly into her pale eyes.

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. She pressed a finger to Sirius' chest. "Look, Padfoot, I know that your Animagus is a big black dog and you would rather be the dog than yourself, but 'The fleas are just murder.'" She turned to James. "You, Prongs, are a stag, just like your Patronus," She turned to Remus last, "And you are a werewolf, which is why these two, and Peter, the rat, are unregistered Animagi." The boys all stood up and began yelling. Hermione pressed her hands to her ears and Lily sat dumbfounded.

They stayed like this for a good few minutes until Lily stood up her eyes blazing and yelled. "_ENOUGH_!" at this the boys fell silent and stared at her. "Why don't you let Hermione explain instead of just hurling questions at the poor girl?" She gestured to a much paler and slightly dazed Hermione. The boys backed off quickly. "Thank you, Hermione?" Lily stepped up to hug the girl who in her arms began crying.

Lily looked at the boys panic on her face now that the girl had latched onto her. Remus stepped in and pulled her off of Lily and to him leading her to his bed to let her sit down. In all of this her book had fallen to the ground and he nodded for someone to pick it up.

James nodded and stood up from his spot on his bed and walked over to the book picking it up and looking it over. He shook his head and set it next to Hermione on Remus' bedside table. He watched a smirk almost splitting his face in two as Remus held the crying girl trying vainly to sooth her.

Hermione started to calm down enough to speak properly, though her face was all blotched with red and tears plastered her hair to her cheeks. She tried to compose herself and closed her eyes. "I'll try and answer your questions, but I may not be able to, and you have to go one at a time." She sat her knees pulled up to her chest looking much smaller than any of them. James spoke first trying to be gentle about it as the girl seemed easily broken.

"How do you know all of this about us?" He asked fear pulling at him to ask.

"I knew some of you in the future… others I knew the child of…" She gave as vague a description as possible as not to give too much away, but her plan was spoiled when Sirius stepped up to ask his first question.

"Which of us did you know and why only some of us?" Hermione's breath hitched.

"I… well, one of you was my professor, another was a close friend's father figure, and… well…" Hermione stopped and swallowed tears coming to her eyes. "Two of you were dead already dead and…and… another died only a few years before I got thrown back here." Hermione put fingers to her lips to try and stop them from trembling.

Sirius grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Which is which?"

Hermione yelped and Sirius was thrown back from her by Remus who was growling now. "You do that one more time, Black…"

Sirius glared at Remus. "So, it's 'Black' now?"

Hermione gasped softly seeing what she was doing to this group of men so important to her future, _the_ future. "Sirius, you died protecting a very dear friend. Lily, James, you died as well doing much the same."

Lily tugged James over to her and hugged him tightly. Hermione realized she was being cryptic but it seemed best that she only the reveal the smallest of details.

Sirius was wide eyed and on the brink of launching past Remus to throttle her, but so far he was staying put. Hermione looked around at the broken faces of Lily and James and dropped heavily back onto Remus' bed tears slipping down her face. "I'm so sorry."

Lily pulled away from James and went to Hermione's side gently rubbing circles in the girl's slender back. Hermione pulled away and slipped her wand out of her robes gesturing to the door with it she slipped the wand away and pulled the door open closing it tight behind her.

James stood dumbfounded, staring at the door while Lily just sat frozen her hand dropping into her lap from where she had been rubbing Hermione's back. Sirius glared at the door obviously pissed off at the lack of details.

Remus turned to look out at the window, the orange tinged trees swaying in the wind. He sighed; grabbed Hermione's left behind book and left out the door. He assumed she'd be in the Library. Sirius stood glaring at the door for a grand total of two more seconds before grabbing a hold of James and Lily's hands and tugging them out the door with him.

Remus made his through the Library to the place they had found Hermione. When he saw her he stopped dead in his tracks. She was leaned against the window her back to him, circles of yellow birds flying about her. He approached slowly and tapped her shoulder gently. She spun around her eyes wide the birds still flying in circles. "R-Remus!" She stuttered.

He nodded slowly. "I wanted to check on you. You seemed… troubled."

She laughed faintly and shook her head. "That doesn't even cover it, Remus." She put her hand on his arm and with a flick of her wand the birds disappeared. At his apparent surprise she blushed. "I watch them when I'm upset. They take concentration."

Remus nodded again and narrowed his eyes. "So, you can do non-verbal magic." He asked a little unsure.

"Well," She responded quietly. "Most of the simpler spells, yes, but some of the super complex spells, no."

Remus nodded and handed her back her book. "So, if you're from the future, then I assume you weren't just trying to catch up for classes?" He smiled gently at her.

She laughed softly. "No, actually, this is my favorite book." She looked down at the book in her arms and traced the spine and around the corners of the book. "It's a bit ironic that I love to read about the past and," She sniffled on the brink of tears again. "Now, I'm in it."

Remus looked at her as if seeing a whole new side of her. He was about to say something when they were both interrupted from their thoughts by the tapping of an owl at the window beside them. Hermione's eyes widened slightly. She set the book down in the sill and opened the window taking the roll of parchment from the small tawny barn owl letting it fly off.

She opened the letter with shaking hands and scanned over the familiar slanted writing. "She looked up at Remus her pale blue eyes wide. Taking Remus' arm in one hand and tucking her book under her arm she hurried off out of the Library practically dragging the confused werewolf behind her.

When they came to Dumbledore's office Hermione had calmed down considerably, but he could still smell small traces of fear on her. She knocked on the door and when Dumbledore responded with a pleasant "Come in" they opened the door stepping in to find a very concerned James and Lily and an aggravated Sirius wearing a tread in the floor where he was pacing barely staying calm.

The moment Remus and Hermione stepped in the door he exploded. "So, you think that you can just come—"

Dumbledore cut him off with a sweep of his arm and smiled at Hermione. "Well, I see we have let our little secret out fairly quickly, Hmm?" He asked gently chiding her.

She nodded slowly looking at her feet and clutching her book to her chest. "I tried to hide myself, but their map gave my true name and I had no lie to tell."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "So I have been told." He eyed Sirius who was glaring at Hermione. "And because of this grievous miscalculation, you are all bound together for good." They all looked at Dumbledore in surprise. This was not exactly what they were expecting. "You all are responsible for Miss Granger's safety."

Remus smiled inwardly and laughed at Sirius' near comic reaction, his eyes bugging as he glanced from Hermione who was blushing furiously, to Dumbledore who just stood silently smiling in his bright robes.

James nodded and shared a glance with Lily before she nodded too. "Of course." They spoke together. Remus followed suit and finally Sirius met Hermione's eyes.

He stepped forward and stared her down. It seemed at this confrontation Hermione was winning. She met his icy grey stare with her cool crystal clear gaze and extended her hand to his. Begrudgingly he took it and whispered only for her, though Remus caught it as well. "You do anything to any of them, and I'll kill you myself."

Hermione smirked and stood up taller to nearly meet his height. "You try, and we'll see how far you get. I was trained by some of the best Aurors of my time." At this he paled slightly but his smile was evident and quite real.

"Then we have a deal."

They all made it to their next class and through lunch without Hermione crying and Sirius nearly throttling her. Over all, everyone made it to lunch in one piece, except James who currently was missing a patch of fabric from his robe where he'd burned hole in it in Potions and no one had bothered to help him fix it. He could have done it himself but, "The angle is weird".

Peter had questioned them about their sudden disappearance and Hermione, with a quick shake of her head, stopped everyone from spilling her secret to him. Instead, they had decided on the half shrug, which surprisingly Peter seemed to take as a believable answer.

Hermione watched him as she ate mulling over how best to handle the situation. She had decided in Potions that there was no way she was letting history repeat itself, whether the cost was losing everything she remembered of her former life, it would be worth it.

Remus watched the calculating expression on Hermione's face as she looked at Peter. It unnerved him a bit. He wondered what she was thinking about, it was obviously serious, but what about Peter was? He shook his head and nudged Hermione's shoulder gently.

She turned to him and looked up surprised. "Yes, Moony?"

He smiled at her use of his nickname. "I was just wondering if you were alright, you seem a bit," He looked at her hand and nodded to her white knuckle grip on her fork. "Tense?"

She dropped her fork and gave a sheepish smile. "Just thinking is all."

He nodded and went back to eating, giving her a glance out of the corner of his eye. He looked up at Sirius across from him who looked confused. Remus shook his head and Sirius shrugged.

After their miniature showdown in Dumbledore's office Sirius had relaxed a lot around Hermione, even joking with her once or twice in the hallways. It was remarkable how well he'd adjusted to her. They did click quite well after it was made clear that she was just a serious as he was about James and Lily's safety. He even seemed to respect her, which for Sirius took a lot more than most thought.

The rest of their classes passed quickly, Hermione barely paying attention out of sheer boredom. She knew the information they were learning from her books from the future and it made her miss them even more than she thought was possible.

Her mind drifted to her memories, more than once forcing her to hide behind her thick curtain of hair while she fought off tears of one thing or another. Images of Ron and Harry flashed through her brain like a slideshow making her want to laugh and then cry at the fact that she could lose them forever if she wasn't careful. She had managed to use her time during classes to plot out her brilliant plan to save her newfound friends. But first, she'd need back up.

It was in her last class of the day that she met Severus Snape. He was just as Harry had said. He looked much like her professor only less bitter and age-worn. She watched him from afar in Defense Against the Dark Arts accessing his strengths. He really would have made a wonderful teacher. She decided to approach him after the class. It was a costly mistake.

Hermione strode up to Severus and held out her hand. "Hi." She spoke softly smiling gently, hoping he would respond well to it. Instead he looked at her and pulled away disgusted.

"Who are you?" He sneered looking her over.

Hermione stuttered. "H-Hermione, Hermione Gracel." She gulped. "I probably should have said that first." She sighed softly. "Okay, I'm new, and… I was wondering if you could help me with DADA. You seem to know it well."

He only sneered more and rolled his eyes. "I'm assuming that your Gryffindor Marauders put you up to this, hmmm? Want to include you in their planning of the next great prank on me?" He scoffed and turned tail leaving Hermione staring after him.

She turned on her heel and came face to face with Lucius Malfoy and his pack of henchmen. The hall was cleared and she was outnumbered 4 to 1. This didn't look good.

"Gulp."

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So, I know it's shorter than normal by a few hundred words, but I saw my opportunity and... Well… I took that shit. Anyways, as always, please review! It makes my week.


	4. Chapter 4

So, here it is. I have been having the biggest brain fart of my life and so, here is the pitiful and remarkably short chapter 4. I apologize for the idiocy and horrible writing ahead of you. Anyways, I would love if you could give me some pointers or anything because as always, I love criticism. It keeps me going and drives me. Anyway, enough about my pitiful writing, enjoy!

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I own nothing. J.K. owns it all.

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"_**Gulp." **_

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Hermione stood backed against a wall with four nasty looking Slytherins staring her down, Malfoy in the lead. She gave the weakest smile and tried to step away. "Hi. I'm Gracel, the new student." As she spoke, trying not to show her ever increasing fear, she slipped a hand into her robes to grip her wand, just in case.

"So, you are the new Gryffindor, hmm? How unpleasant." Lucius stepped forward sneering. "I suppose you are a Mudblood by the looks of it." The way he said the word paired with his overwhelmingly similar appearance to Draco made her shiver.

Lucius taking this as a sign of fear grew bolder stepping almost into Hermione's face. "Well, don't worry Mudblood, as long as you stay out of my way, I won't have to kill you."

Hermione blanched and Lucius grinned. He began to step back turning his back on her. The moment he had she pulled out her wand and held it to his back."Not so fast, Malfoy."

His shoulder's tightened as he froze but other than that minute showing of fear or surprise he seemed remotely calm. He pulled his out and took a few steps before turning to face her like a professional duelist. His lackeys stood frozen unsure of what to do about the girl glaring their leader down. Without warning Lucius smiled like a cartoon villain, broad and seemingly all knowing, before a jet of white light erupted from his wand.

The curse struck Hermione across her chest sending up shots of pain through her like nothing else she had felt before, like a sword ripping through her chest with searing force. She crumpled blood slipping from her fingers where she clutched her chest. Slipping down the wall she did not notice the four boys slipping off in mild shades of horror and panic. Instead she gripped her wand and sent out a Patronus whispering feebly and praying it would get there in time.

The boys, enjoying their free time before dinner sat up in their dorm planning their next greatest prank when the silver otter burst through their door a pitiful and pained voice echoing from it "Third floor. Help. Wounded dangerously, please, Remus." Without so much as a second thought as to who else was in the room Remus jumped to his feet and took off wand in hand running at full speed his instincts kicking in to find the quickest route down to Hermione. He didn't know how, or why, but the moment he saw the otter he knew it was her. He hadn't felt quite right leaving her behind after class, but they were going two very different places, she to Runes and he to a free period.

In the rush out of the door Remus didn't bother to notice neither the looks of utter confusion on his dorm mates' faces, nor the conversation that followed as all three tried to keep up with Moony.

"Who was that?" Peter asked pointedly as he ran to catch up to both James and Sirius.

They shared a look and Sirius rolled his eyes at James. "_That_ was a friend. That girl. You know the one that ran into James yesterday?" Sirius spoke as they made their way out of the Common room and past the staring eyes of the few seventh years in there.

"Was that a fully-formed _speaking_ Patronus though? That's my question." James spoke as they made their way to the shifting staircases.

Sirius glared impatiently at the stairs hoping Remus had already made it down to the third floor. "I'm assuming so since it happened in front of me."

James nodded still a bit dumbfounded. When the staircase finally made it to them all three sprinted down it in extreme effort to get to the third floor. "Do we know where she is?"

Peter looked puzzled. "Why don't you just look at the map?"

Sirius shook his head. "Moony's got it." He sighed and pressed his hand to his forehead. "Okay, I'm going to assume she's near either the girls lavatory or DADA classroom. We'll try the lavatory first." And with that they took off, Moony already at her side.

Moony found her a short distance from the DADA classroom in a growing pool of her own blood. The wounds weren't too deep, but they were wide and all over her chest. He knelt by her side ignoring the dark blood staining him and whispered the song like spell _Vulnera Sanentur _three times the wounds closing slowly after the blood stopped pouring out of her. He picked her up adrenaline pulsing through him and giving him the strength to take her down to the Hospital Wing on the first floor. Most of the trip was a blur even if the paintings were shouting questions at him. He had to get her there and fast because loss of blood alone at this point could kill her and he could barely feel her heartbeat though his own was pounding through his ear in time with his feet across the stone floor.

He made it downstairs in record time and placed her on an open bed so he could find Poppy. She bustled out of her office as if sensing him there and gasped in mild horror. "Remus! What's happened to you?"

The boys, having not found her near the lavatory made their way to the DADA classroom where they spotted the blood. It was a trail first, then they found the sickening lake of blood, or so it seemed to them. James turned away nearly gagging on the amount that was beginning to dry on the floor. Sirius pulled both him and the green Peter after the tracks leading away from the blood. "Moony's got her. Come on, Hospital wing."

They stumbled into the hospital wing to find Moony collapsed into a chair in front of the curtains surrounding one of the beds, blood all over him. He was looking up tiredly at Albus who was pulling out his wand.

In a whoosh the blood was pulled from Remus' clothes and Dumbledore had placed a hand on his shoulder. "We can talk about this later," He sent a glance over his shoulder at the three boys staring wide-eyed at the pair. "It seems your friends have arrived." And with that Dumbledore swept away nodding in a swirl of purple robes.

"Moony?" Sirius spoke hesitantly distracting his friend from the patch of stone on the floor.

"Yeah, Padfoot?" He spoke softly, his voice obviously hoarse as if he'd been screaming.

The trio stepped forward James crouching in front of Remus while Peter and Sirius took their respective places at either side. "Do you know what happened to her?" James asked gently putting a hand on his distressed friend's knee.

"No, not yet, but soon." A spark of anger flitted across his face. "And when I find out who did it…" He began growling almost jumping from his seat with anger.

As if on cue a small whimper arose from behind the curtains as well as the rustling of bed sheets. In a flash all of the anger disappeared and he pushed through the thick sheets of white without a moment of hesitation. He found Hermione trying to sit up despite the bandages across her chest. He stepped forward and gripping her shoulders pressed her gently back down to the bed. "I wouldn't try that just yet." He added softly.

She looked up at him surprised and obeyed nodding slowly. "Thank you, Remus… for helping me."

Remus blushed and nodded wisps of sandy hair falling across his glassy eyes. "It was no trouble, not for a friend." He sat besides her making sure to not touch her. "Who did this to you?"

She looked away becoming even more pale than she was already, which was saying a lot. "Malfoy and his goons." She mumbled. It was then that the boys made their appearance.

Suddenly choruses of "Just wait till I see that bloody bastard" and the like assaulted her ears. All but Peter were red with anger and ranting and raving. Peter on the other hand stood staring at the girl with a mixture of horror and curiosity.

"So, why did they attack you?" He stepped forward to ask, his voice almost a whisper.

Hermione looked at him with surprise. She'd almost forgotten the rat. "W-well, I had tried to talk to Severus, ask for his help with DADA…seeing as I'm new here and not quite caught up on where you all are." She hoped the boys wouldn't spill about her training and this obvious lie.

Remus' eyes snapped open wider. "You should have come to one of us, Hermione. We're all just as good as Snivellus, if not better," He broke off giving a small glance at Peter "Well, Peter's been having difficulties but he's improving."

James and Sirius both nodded, James giving Peter a gentle nudge with his arm making a small, if not self-conscious smile slip across Peter's chubby face. "We can include you in our lessons if you'd like, so you can learn just as good as the rest of us."

And with that, Hermione grinned. "That'd be great, soon as I'm out of here." She frowned looking about the room.

Remus nodded and placed his hand over hers gently as if she might break at the touch. She was deathly cold. "Poppy said that you should be right enough by tomorrow after supper."

Hermione woke up the next morning tears in her eyes and Poppy's hands on her shoulders a worried look on her face. "Oh, dear, you've opened up some of your wounds." She whispered softly, Hermione relaxing once she'd gotten her bearings.

"I'm sorry Madame Pomfrey." Hermione mumbled biting hard on her lip as the pain set in.

Poppy busied herself with reclosing the wounds that had oozed blood onto her clean white sheets.

Poppy sat with her a good deal of the morning soothing her "Dear, you were quite a loud one last night. I've heard children have nightmares, but nothing like that. I couldn't wake you."

Hermione looked down remembering the vividness of her dream."I know." She whispered softly glancing at her arm where the word was etched into it. She wondered for a moment if Poppy had seen them or not, but her question was answered quickly.

"Dear, who carved that hateful word into you? Is that what you were dreaming about?" She spoke softly not meeting Hermione's shocked expression, but gazing at the spot where the word rested in its crooked, scarred letters.

"Yes, and I'd rather not talk about it, Madame Pomfrey." And with that Poppy nodded and stood up walking briskly to her office.

Hermione dozed for a bit and before long curious whispers assaulted her ears. It was the boys, which she was certain of, but she kept her eyes shut hoping to hear what they were saying before they realized she was awake.

"Moony, what are we supposed to tell Wormy. He's bound to get suspicious if she is acing everything in lessons. I don't even understand why she lied."

"Well, maybe she doesn't want him in on her secret."

"Well, yeah Prongs, but that doesn't answer my over abundant 'Why?'"

"Well, why don't you ask her Pads, she's awake."

With that Hermione opened her eyes to see all three boys looking at her with varying levels of happiness and glares.

"So, Hermione," Remus stepped forward and sat on the side of her bed. "Why did you lie?"

Sirius and James stood on either side of him curiosity clear in their eyes and even a bit of mistrust.

"I don't want everyone knowing about my… condition… It could be dangerous."

"Yeah, but Peter's our mate, Hermione." James spoke up his chest puffed out as he defended his friend.

"And I know that, but it doesn't change the fact that four people already know, and that is a lot of people for something like this."

To that Sirius nodded. "As much as I hate it, she has a point."

Hermione flung her hand out in Sirius' general direction "See, he gets it."

It was in that moment that her sleeve fell back showing her scar. Remus instantly gripped her arm tight and pulled it closer for him to see. "What in the bloody hell is that?"

Hermione tried to pull her arm back. "Nothing."

But it was no use, now everyone had seen it. "Hermione that, isn't nothing." James whispered softly as he looked at the word.

Hermione looked down at her lap unable to look at the uncovered wound. "Mudblood" Sirius spoke softly. "Hermione, who did this to you?"

She shook her head and tried again, vainly, to pull her arm back, but Remus held it tight enough to leave marks later. "Please, just let me go. It's nothing."

But she knew it was the worst lie she'd ever told. She whimpered at both the patheticness of her lie and the pain Remus was currently inflicting upon her unintentionally. Remus let go of her arm like it had burned him and looked into her face his hands hovering over her cheeks. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, though still almost afraid to touch her.

He stood up removing his hands and taking a step back away from the bed, his hands shaking. Hermione looked up at the stiff and sudden movement. "Remus?" But it was clear her words went unheard. His eyes were darkened and his face clouded. She could tell he was struggling, but not quite why. She made an effort to stand, but both James and Sirius pushed her back down. James held her there much to her dismay as Sirius put an arm on Remus' shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Remus shook his head and turned leaving the Hospital wing with a swish of his robes.

Sirius sat back down and sighed heavily. "The moon is only two days away." He mumbled, looking very defeated.

James took her arm carefully in his hand and pulled out his wand removing the bruise Remus had caused. He gave Sirius a meaningful look. "Pads, is…"

"Yeah, Prongs, yeah." And with that James nodded and began regaling the pranks they pulled today dragging Hermione's attention away from a brooding Sirius and an absent Remus.

Hermione woke up with a start to a cool hand on her cheek. Remus stood above her looking rather depressed. "I'm sorry about yesterday; I didn't mean to hurt you." He whispered. He sat beside her and took her hand in his lap and looked at it like it was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. "Hermione, I need to ask you something. Something you may not want to answer, but I'm going to need you to."

She nodded slowly waiting for his question.

"What do you know about werewolf's mates?"

Hermione combed her brain drawing up all kinds of blanks.

"Well, to put it simply, a werewolf knows when it meets its mate. There is an immediate protective response and even a psychic link, though that usually develops later."

Hermione nodded slowly not quite understanding where with is going.

"Hermione, I think you're my mate."

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I want you all to know I love you and I'm deeply sorry for the delay and the chapter


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